Organic Farming through Intercropping
Two main intercropping methods - temporal and spatial intercropping - are used as sustainable agricultural practices to enhance the complementarity or facilitative effect between species, and minimize the interspecific (between species) competitive interactions. Temporal intercropping involves planting various crops in temporal succession, such that the crops do not necessarily have to be sown at the same time nor do they have to be harvested at the same time, but they should be grown simultaneously for a greater part of their growth periods. Intercrops are most productive when component crops greatly differ in growth duration, creating asynchrony in resource demand. Spatial intercropping refers to the arrangement of the crops on the field, which can be determined by a variety of factors. The degree of spatial and temporal overlaps in the component crops can vary depending on the specific combination of species.
Intercropping systems are advantageous because of their better use of available land resources, yield stability, reduced crop losses due to weeds, pests or disease, erosion control, reduced leaching of nutrients, soil fertility maintenance, balanced distribution of labour, and higher economic returns than monocultures. Intercropping is considered less risky than monoculture crops because if one of the crops fails, the other crop(s) may still be harvested. It can provide increased yields in an environmentally sustainable manner through resource complementarity since niche overlap and competition between species may be reduced, permitting crops to capture a greater range and quantity of resources than in monocultures.
Organic Certification and Legislation in Canada
When a farmer makes the decision to farm organically and be certified, it is not an easy road. The farmer must choose among several potential organic certification bodies to use. The certification bodies have their own protocols for farmers to follow, and plans, histories, and maps are generally required. Inspection visits occur and the certification bodies require that no non-permitted substances (see list of permitted substances) be applied to the land in question for three years. Thereafter, and pending no missteps by the farmer, the land is considered suitable for organic production. Annual applications are required to continue to hold the certification. If a farmer chooses not to be certified, s/he can still sell her/his products locally but cannot use any logos that support this production method.Organic farmers must take special precautions to ensure their products are not contaminated by any disallowed inputs. They grow or build ‘buffer strips’ around their crops to protect them from drifting pesticide sprays and other non-permitted substances. They also must thoroughly clean equipment and storage areas to ensure there is no mixing with non-organic products or chemical residues.
Canada has a federal regulation (Organic Products Regulation) that makes the Canadian Organic Standards mandatory. This means that organic products must be certified according to the Canadian Organic Standards if they will be moved across provincial or international borders, or if the farmer wishes to use the Canada Organic logo on his/her products. If the farmer is not planning to move his/her products across any borders, there is no requirement for him/her to adhere to these standards.
